Character Creation Has A Race Problem

[Magic-Mal]

Thankfully Japan has no obligation to bend over backwards to accommodate the every whim of foreign customers or drastically change its society to appease the delicate sensibilities of those deliberately going out of their way to be offended. I'm not suggesting that Japan doesn't have issues since every country does. Yet the official site of a video game really isn't a suitable platform to discuss such things at length.

Not having the hairstyles you want in a game's character creation isn't a case of racism at all - especially when the game's developers are free to design the inhabitants of their world as they see fit. Furthermore there's already some 'diverse' hairstyles and skin tones in the game as has been pointed out many times within this very thread.

The attempts to paint Square Enix and Japan as a whole as some kind of villain is rather offensive and deceptive. If you feel that strongly about being wronged, perhaps you should vote with your wallet...?

As a big-time supporter of male players/characters and LGBT getting equal treatment via glamour, hairstyles and representation in this game, I WILL remember this post. It says alot. Mr. "Firm advocate of nuanced antagonists, smoother official promotions for European players and more glamour options designed first and foremost with male characters in mind."

[Theodric]

As a big-time supporter of male players/characters and LGBT getting equal treatment via glamour, hairstyles and representation in this game, I WILL remember this post. It says alot.

Please elaborate, I'll admit to not catching your meaning with that statement. It is pretty late for me right now though.

[Magic-Mal]

Please elaborate, I'll admit to not catching your meaning with that statement. It is pretty late for me right now though.

I sort of took offense to your post when I thought of how much you protest for male glamours and treatment. Then you go post... everything you just said about a cause(this) different from the one you care about.

In other words, I can say everything you just said about male equality, LGBT equality, and European treatment.

[Theodric]

-snip-

I'm not taking an issue with the suggestion itself. My issue is with the way that is being framed. If FFXIV did not have any option for darker skin tones, then the weight of the argument for representation would be much heftier. As it stands, though, there are options in-game to allow for people to design a character to their personal tastes.

Where, exactly, do we draw the line? New hairstyles are added with every major patch, so there's always a chance that at least one of them will be to someone's personal tastes eventually.

The developers may or may not add more 'ethnic' hairstyles in time. We'll have to wait and see. Even if they don't, though, some do exist so it's not like they're completely ignoring them.

[Magic-Mal]

I'm not taking an issue with the suggestion itself. My issue is with the way that is being framed. If FFXIV did not have any option for darker skin tones, then the weight of the argument for representation would be much heftier. As it stands, though, there are options in-game to allow for people to design a character to their personal tastes.

Where, exactly, do we draw the line? New hairstyles are added with every major patch, so there's always a chance that at least one of them will be to someone's personal tastes eventually.

The developers may or may not add more 'ethnic' hairstyles in time. We'll have to wait and see. Even if they don't, though, some do exist so it's not like they're completely ignoring them.

Just like how there are masculine options and that they add more glamours every patch. And even if they don't add anymore and everything from this point on is female-only, at least some options still exist so they're not completely ignoring males. So it's okay. No need to yell for more.

Do you understand what is wrong now?

[Theodric]

-snip-

Again, I'm not saying that more options shouldn't be added. I'm suggesting that people should temper their expectations and recognise that this is simply a reflection of Japanese cultural trends. I've never suggested that the character creation should not be updated. I'm merely taking issue with the water being muddied by implications of racism being at play.